Master shoe last with changeable toe tip portion

ABSTRACT

The master shoe last with removable and changeable tip portion for the manufacturing of a variety of shoes of given sizes is described. The master shoe last has three co-operative parts, the back part, the instep part, and the removable and changeable tip. The instep portion of the master shoe last is formed with a forwardly extending wedge-like projection, which is especially designed to precisely fit the removable and changeable toe of a large variety of styles. This projection is adapted to receive selectively a plurality of toe tip members of various shapes and styles to complete the master shoe last for a particular style of shoe in the size to be manufactured. The wedge is constructed to fit into a large variety of styles of toe portion and made with an interconnection that will insure substantial, rigid interattachment with the toe portion, thereby minimizing any possibility of shifting or misalignment of the master shoe last components during the manufacturing of the shoe. The zone of separation of the toe member from the instep part is designed in such a manner as to permit the use of composite, wood or metal materials for the making of the last. The zone of separation also is designed in such a manner that any of the usual range of heel heights can be manufactured using the same toe portion on the master shoe last, whether the last be for women&#39;&#39;s, men&#39;&#39;s or children&#39;&#39;s shoes.

United States Patent Meszaros 51 May 23, 1972 [54] MASTER SHOE LAST WITH CHANGEABLE TOE TIP PORTION [72] lnventor:

Martinsburg, Pa. 16662 [22] Filed: Nov. 9, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 88,051

Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson AuomeyEmest H. Schmidt Daniel Meszaros, 113 North Market St.,

57 ABSTRACT The master shoe last with removable and changeable tip portion for the manufacturing of a variety of shoes of given sizes is described. The master shoe last has three co-operative parts, the back part, the instep part, and the removable and changeable tip. The instep portion of the master shoe last is formed with a forwardly extending wedge-like projection, which is especially designed to precisely fit the removable and changeable toe of a large variety of styles. This projection is adapted to receive selectively a plurality of toe tip members of various shapes and styles to complete the master shoe last for a particular style of shoe in the size to be manufactured. The wedge is constructed to fit into a large variety of styles of toe portion and made with an interconnection that will insure substantial, rigid inter-attachment with the toe portion, thereby minimizing any possibility of shifting or misalignment of the master shoe last components during the manufacturing of the shoe. The zone of separation of the toe member from the instep part is designed in such a manner as to permit the use of composite, wood or metal materials for the making of the last. The zone of separation also is designed in such a manner that any of the usual range of heel heights can be manufactured using the same toe portion on the master shoe last, whether the last be for women's, mens or childrens shoes.

9 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures Patented May 23, 1972 2 Shaets-Shoet 2 INVENTOR. FHA/IE1. ME$Z/4/?0$ HTTOAIUEX MASTER SHOE LAST WITH CI-IANGEABLE TOE TIP PORTION This invention relates to shoe manufacturing, and is directed particularly to an improved master shoe last, having a removable and changeable tip member portion for selective use in the manufacture of a wide variety of shoes of shoe toe styles in any given sizes and types of shoes, womens, mens or childrens.

Heretofore in the manufacture of shoes, it has been customary to provide individual lasts for manufacturing of each various shape of shoe toe and heel height. This necessitated a large inventory of lasts, a large storage space for them. Moreover, when a last goes out of style it goes out of use, resulting in almost a total loss of investment.

The master shoe last with removable and changeable toe insures a long term usage, is very economical, easily changeable from one style to another; and when one toe member goes out of style and is no longer used, only a small part of the investment is lost.

It is accordingly the principal object of this invention to reduce the total number of lasts that must be provided in the manufacture of various toe styles in a given line of shoe. This composite, wood or metal master shoe last has a removable and changeable toe portion to accommodate for the manufacture of a variety of toe style or shape in any given line and size.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a wedge mechanism for interfittingly securing any selected toe member with the remainder of the master shoe last in such a way as to displace only the tip member, while the remainder of the master shoe last, with toe changed, remains in use during the manufacture of the shoe.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a zone of separation that is located in such a place as to permit use of any'of the usual range of heel heights with whatever toe style is selected.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a master shoe last of the character described, which will be simple, quickly changeable, foolproof in operation and long-wearing in use.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective and as seen from one size, the master shoe last with removable and changeable toe tip portions of two extreme styles, both of which can be used with any of the usual heel heights. Similarly, any toe tip portion of a style between these two extremes also can be used with any of the usual heel heights.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the master shoe last, shown without a toe tip portion to reveal constructional details of the connecting mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the instep section of the master shoe last, taken along the line 33 of FIG. I in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows and illustrating constructional details of the interconnecting mechanism;

FIG. 5 is one style of changeable last toe portion, as seen from above;

FIG. 6 is another style of changeable last toe portion, as seen from above; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of themaster shoe last embodying the invention shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates, generally, a preferred form of master shoe last with removable and changeable toe tip portion embodying the invention, the same comprising a last back or heel section 11, a last front or instep portion 12 and a changeable toe portion 13, all of which are preferably shaped or formed of a tough synthetic plastic, wood or metal material. As is usual in master shoe lasts, the heel section 11 is hinged to the front or instep section 12 by means of transversely extending, arcuate bulge portion 14 rotatively received in a complemental groove 15 provided in the rear end wall of said instep section. A stiff leaf spring 16 (partially illustrated in FIG. 1) normally constrains the heel and instep sections in relatively out-stretched disposition, as illustrated in FIG. 1. As further illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper end of the heel section 11 is vertically bored to receive secured therein a tubular insert 17 providing a lastingout hole for cooperative attachment to work station support posts at various assembly line stations in the manufacture of shoes. 1

For the purpose of nailing in the manufacture of certain kinds of shoes, as is hereinbelow more particularly described, the heel section 11 is provided with a heel bottom plate 18 (see FIG. 7) and the instep section 12 is provided with metal instep bottom plate 19, both of which may conveniently be secured in place as by nails 20. For the purpose of temporary nailing in place heel and sole portions of shoes to be manufactured with use of the shoe last, the heel bottom plate 18 is provided, near its inner end, with an elongated opening 21, and the instep bottom plate 19 is provided both with an elongated opening 22 in the shank portion thereof and an elongated opening 23 near the forward end of the sole portion thereof.

Means is provided for changeably securing various instep toe portions 13, 13a (see broken line representation thereof in FIG. 1) representative of various widths in toe shape or styles of shoes to be manufactured by use of the master shoe last. To this end, the usual integrally formed master last instep section is cut-away along various planes, as hereinbelow more particularly described, to provide, in the instep section 12 of the last 10, a forwardly projecting, wedge-like plug portion 24 of quadrilateral transverse cross-section. The plug portion 24 is interfrttingly received within a complemental recess 25 provided in each of the exchangeable instep toe members 13, 13a, etc., selectively.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the top of the instep section 12 is cut inwardly at an angle of about 35 with respect to the bottom level 27 of said instep portion and beginning at the center line of the last, indicated by the broken line representation 28 thereof in FIG. 1, to provide a planar shield undercut 26. The wedge-like plug portion 24 of the instep section 12 is defined by a top surface 29 out along a plane converging at an angle of approximately 15 with the bottom level 27 of the instep portion 12, and opposed side cuts which define convergent side surface portions 30 and 31 symmetrically arranged with respect to the center line of the last in dicated at 28. The side surface portions 30 and 31 of the wedge-like portion 24 are also cut to converge inwardly from top to bottom at small, substantially equal angles. The inner ends of the planar side surface portions 30 and 31 merge with transversely opposed, planar cuts defining side abutment surface portions 32 and 33 making an angle of approximately with respect to undercut surface 26. The outer end of the forwardly projecting, wedge-like portion 24 is cut off at a slightly downwardly and inwardly inclined angle to provide a transverse end surface 34. 7

Means is provided for releasably attaching, selectively, one of a plurality of removable and changeable toe portion members 13, 13a, etc. representative of different styles or shapes of the toe end portion of shoes to be manufactured by the master last (only the two extremes of toe shape being shown by way of example). To this end, the wedge-like plug portion 24 is formed along the shoe last center line 28, and approximately mid-way along its length, with a vertically extending bore 35, which bore merges, at a position approximately two-thirds the distance to the bottom level 27 of the shoe last, with a reduced-diameter lower end bore 36. The juncture of the bores 35 and 36 defines an annular shoulder 37 seated upon which is the lower end of a helical compression spring 38. The upper end of the compression spring 38 is circumjacently disposed with respect to a lock pin 39, and has its upper end secured as by welding to an upwardly and outwardly extending end portion of said lock pin. As illustrated, in FIG. 3, the lock pin 39, at its lower end, is slidingly received in the bore 36. The lower end of the lock pin is peened or otherwise shaped to provide a shallow, slightly enlarged head portion 40 the outer surface of which will normally lie substantially flat with respect to the bottom level 27 of the last. As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7, the instep bottom plate 19 is provided with a circular opening 41 in spaced relation about the head 40 of the lock pin 39 to permit access thereto with the fingers for pulling downwardly and outwardly upon said lock pin when removing or replacing changeable toe members 13, 13a, etc. As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6 the changeable toe members 13, 1311, etc. are provided in their inner undersurfaces with a blind bore 42 of substantially the same diameter as that of the bore 35 in the wedge-like plug portion 24 to receive the upper end of the lock pin 39 and its associated helical spring 39 in interlocking engagement.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the instep bottom plate 19 comprises a separate instep bottom plate portion 19a for each of the changeable toe members 13, 13a, etc. Preferably, the instep bottom plate 19 will be cut somewhat wide along the bottom edges of the wedge-like plug portion 24 to provide marginal overlap portions 43 and 44. The instep bottom plate portions 19a of the removable and changeable toe members 13, 13a, etc. will be correspondingly undercut to receive the marginal overlap portions 43, 44 in overlapping and interfitting disposition.

In use of the master shoe last it will be noted that, whenever required, the particular toe member of the toe members 13, 13a, etc. in use can readily be exchanged simply by pulling down upon the lock pin 39 sufficiently to release the attached toe portion, whereafter it can readily be withdrawn and replaced by the next changeable toe member to be used in the manufacture of a different style of shoe with respect to toe shape. It is particularly to be noted that the double wedge interlocking of the changeable toe member with the instep portion 12 of the last afforded not only by the interfitting of the wedge-like plug portion 24 in the complemental recess 25 of the changeable toe member, but also by the wedging action of the inner end of said toe member with the abutting angular undercut surface 26 and the transversely opposed planar abutment surfaces 32 and 33, assures such tight interconnection of the last parts as virtually eliminates any possibility of shifting of the toe member with the remainder of the last instep section. When it is considered that, in the manufacture of shoes, portions of the shoe uppers will be drawn in tight-fitting embracing relation over the composite instep portion of the last, it will be apparent that such operations serve to constrain the assembled toe member into even tighter inter-wedging fit to further minimize any possibility of displacing or shifting.

Another advantage of my invention resides in the fact that because the zone of separation of the changeable toe members 13, 13a, etc. is forward of the ball of the shoe last and in the shoe last bottom level, any one of the changeable toe members 13, 13a, etc. can be used for a variety of different heel heights of shoes to be manufactured.

While I have illustrated and described herein a master shoe last embodying the invention with instep bottom plate portions 18, 19 and 1911, it is to be noted that such bottom plates could be dispensed with when manufacturing shoes wherein sole and instep portions are inter-secured by means other than by tacking or nailing, such, for example, as when manufacturing shoe of materials that are suitable for gluing, cementing or thermoplastic heat-sealing techniques. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A master shoe last having removable and changeable toe tip portions comprising, in combination, a shoe last heel section, a shoe last instep section hingingly secured with respect to said heel section, a shoe last toe member, and means for removably attaching said toe member to the outer end of said shoe last instep section to complete the desired toe shape of the shoe last instep section prior to use in the manufacture of shoes of any particular style said attaching means comprising an outwardl projecting, wedge-like plug portion extendin forwardly 0 said shoe instep section, a recess complementa in shape with that of said projecting wedge-like plug portion in said shoe last toe member and resilient lock pin means extending upwardly through said wedge-like plug portion and receivable in a locking recess in said shoe last toe member when the shoe last toe member is fitted for attachment to said shoe last instep section.

2. A master shoe last as defined in claim 1, wherein said wedge-like portion is of tapered shape both in height and in width from its inner to its outer end, and is of quadrilateral transverse cross-sectional shape.

3. A master shoe last as defined in claim 2, wherein the bottom surface of said projecting wedge-like plug portion is coplanar with the bottom level of said shoe last instep section.

4. A master shoe last as defined in claim 4, wherein the juncture of the inner end of said forwardly projecting wedgelike plug portion of said shoe last instep section is defined by a pair of opposed, substantially transversely extending planar surfaces extending downwardly into said bottom level, and wherein the top portion of said shoe last instep section is cut transversely inwardly to define a plane meeting the inner edge of the upper surface of said wedge-like plug portion at an acute angle.

5. A master shoe last as defined in claim 4, wherein the undersurfaces of said shoe last heel section, instep section and toe member are provided with metal bottom plates for nailing against in the manufacture of shoes.

6. A master shoe last as defined in claim 5, wherein the bottom plate of said shoe last instep section is provided with marginal overlap portions along the longitudinal bottom edges of said wedge-like plug portion, and wherein said bottom plate of said toe member is so shaped as to complementarily receive edge portions of said shoe instep section bottom plate upon the assembly of the toe member to said shoe last instep section.

7. A master shoe last as defined in claim 5, wherein said resilient lock pin means comprises a lock pin axially movable in a bore provided in said wedge-like plug portion and resilient means normally constraining said lock pin in protruding disposition with respect to the upper surface of said wedgelike plug portion.

8. A master shoe last as defined in claim 7, wherein the lower end of said lock pin is provided with a slightly enlarged head portion to facilitate manual withdrawal of said pin in unlocking a toe member fitted upon said shoe last instep section.

9. A master shoe last as defined in claim 8, wherein said resilient means comprises a helical spring circumjacent an upper end portion of said lock pin and having one end fixed with respect to said upper end and the other end seated upon an internal annular shoulder in said lock pin bore. 

1. A master shoe last having removable and changeable toe tip portions comprising, in combination, a shoe last heel section, a shoe last instep section hingingly secured with respect to said heel section, a shoe last toe member, and means for removably attaching said toe member to the outer end of said shoe last instep section to complete the desired toe shape of the shoe last instep section prior to use in the manufacture of shoes of any particular style said attaching means comprising an outwardly projecting, wedge-like plug portion extending forwardly of said shoe instep section, a recess complemental in shape with that of said projecting wedge-like plug portion in said shoe last toe member and resilient lock pin means extending upwardly through said wedge-like plug portion and receivable in a locking recess in said shoe last toe member when the shoe last toe member is fitted for attachment to said shoe last instep section.
 2. A master shoe last as defined in claim 1, wherein said wedge-like portion is of tapered shape both in height and in width from its inner to its outer end, and is of quadrilateral transverse cross-sectional shape.
 3. A master shoe last as defined in claim 2, wherein the bottom surface of said projecting wedge-like plug portion is coplanar with the bottom level of said shoe last instep section.
 4. A master shoe last as defined in claim 4, wherein the juncture of the inner end of said forwardly projecting wedge-like plug portion of said shoe last instep section is defined by a pair of opposed, substantially transversely extending planar surfaces extending downwardly into said bottom level, and wherein the top portion of said shoe last instep section is cut transversely inwardly to define a plane meeting the inner edge of the upper surface of said wedge-like plug portion at an acute angle.
 5. A master shoe last as defined in claim 4, wherein the undersurfaces of said shoe last heel section, instep section and toe member are provided with metal bottom platEs for nailing against in the manufacture of shoes.
 6. A master shoe last as defined in claim 5, wherein the bottom plate of said shoe last instep section is provided with marginal overlap portions along the longitudinal bottom edges of said wedge-like plug portion, and wherein said bottom plate of said toe member is so shaped as to complementarily receive edge portions of said shoe instep section bottom plate upon the assembly of the toe member to said shoe last instep section.
 7. A master shoe last as defined in claim 5, wherein said resilient lock pin means comprises a lock pin axially movable in a bore provided in said wedge-like plug portion and resilient means normally constraining said lock pin in protruding disposition with respect to the upper surface of said wedge-like plug portion.
 8. A master shoe last as defined in claim 7, wherein the lower end of said lock pin is provided with a slightly enlarged head portion to facilitate manual withdrawal of said pin in unlocking a toe member fitted upon said shoe last instep section.
 9. A master shoe last as defined in claim 8, wherein said resilient means comprises a helical spring circumjacent an upper end portion of said lock pin and having one end fixed with respect to said upper end and the other end seated upon an internal annular shoulder in said lock pin bore. 